She tossed the phone onto a chair and grasped the bat with both hands, raising it high as the intruder turned and faced her. She screamed at the skull mask on his face—the shape elongated, one she recognized from a horror movie franchise—and swung the bat, catching the guy on his shoulder.
Cursing, he jumped back.
The sound of approaching sirens cut through the night.
“Harper!” Heath’s urgent shout from the phone was soon lost as Ryan’s angry yell came from outside her front doorway. His face appeared seconds before the intruder charged past her and through the front door, knocking Nitro’s roommate to the floor.
The doctor sprang to his feet and glanced at Harper. “You hurt?”
“No,” she scooped up her phone and ran to her friend. “But Nitro was hit on the head.”
Ryan crouched in front of Nitro, grasped his head in both hands and studied the injury, gently prodding the area. “A gash. Looks okay.”
Relief poured through Harper. She sank to her knees beside her friends.
“Head wounds bleed heavy.” Ryan ripped his T-shirt over his head and held it to Nitro’s wound. “Put pressure on it.”
She followed his orders as Ryan raced back outside. Needing to reassure her friend, she strove for a calm voice. “You’re going to be okay, honey.” Nitro gave a small nod and winced. Her throat tightened. What about concussion? Please let him be all right. She held Ryan’s T-shirt with one hand and lifted her phone to her ear. “Heath, the intruder’s run away. I think Ryan’s after him.”
“No, I’m guessing Ryan’s downstairs, waiting to let us in as per Adam’s instructions. He rang the guys while I rang you.” Heath answered, his voice sounding jumpy, as if he was running. “I’m seconds away, honey. Just stay on the line with me, okay?”
“Okay.” She hated the tremor in her voice. Fall apart later. “Nitro and I are just sitting here, hanging out.” Her heart clenched at the wry smile on her childhood friend’s face.
The drumming of footsteps sounded on the stairs. Heath, followed by two uniformed cops ran through her apartment’s open front doorway. Her shoulders sagged in relief. Heath issued orders to the now growing number of officers and holstered his weapon. Confident and commanding, he had the scene locked down in seconds, all the while keeping a close eye on her and Nitro.
He leaned down. “Hey, honey, how about we make room for the paramedics?”
“Of course,” Harper said as Heath gently lifted her to her feet. They stood to the side as two paramedics entered with their kits and proceeded to examine Nitro.
Heath kept his arm around her as he led her to the wing-backed chair. “Sit down.” So often a solace for her reading, right now the plump, sage green chair seemed to isolate her, keep her away from Nitro. And she so desperately wanted to sit with him, check that he was okay. A glance across to her dining table showed Ryan was talking to a cop who took notes.
The paramedics asked questions of Nitro, who replied in a low, but thankfully strong voice. That was something at least.
“Harper.” Heath crouched down in front of her. “Would you like a glass of water or a coffee?”
“No, thanks.” She gripped her phone tight in her hand. “I’m guessing Ryan didn’t catch the guy.”
“No. He escaped via the back alley.”
And he could be out there. Watching. Waiting to come back.
Heath’s warm hand gently squeezed her knee. “You okay to answer a few questions?”
Get it together, Harper. She nodded. “Sure.”
The big detective’s watchful gaze studied her face. “Can you describe the intruder?”
“Tall.” Taller than Nitro. “At least six two. And big. He was strong.” And mean. He’d hurt her friend. Maybe would have hurt her. She shivered. “He looked at me, but I only saw the mask. A skull. All stretched lengthways, like that horror film.”
Heath nodded and checked a glance with a female officer who was standing next to Harper and writing in a small notebook. Harper jumped. She hadn’t even heard the cop get close. Heath asked, “What else can you tell us?”
She faced him again. “Everything happened so quickly.” Less than a minute at most. “I heard a click.” The front door being opened. “And a footstep. Then you called, and Nitro shouted my name. I saw the guys fighting and grabbed my softball bat.” She lifted her shoulders before letting them fall with a defeated sigh. “I didn’t get time to see or do much at all.”
“The opening of your building’s back door sent an alert to my phone, and the camera feed showed the guy coming up the stairs.” Heath’s jaw clenched. “Adam called through to dispatch and then called the guys upstairs. I headed here.” He rubbed a hand over her knee. “Thank God I was close by, but Jenny here was only a block away.”
The female officer gave Harper a reassuring smile.
“Thank you for coming so quickly.” While Ryan’s arrival had played a part in dissuading the intruder from staying, hearing the sirens was extra motivation for him to run. For Harper, knowing the cops were close by was a comfort, too.